Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1503864
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 JULY 2023 NEWS psychedelics tality associated with the war and making sure that the le- galisation of the so-called 'low risk drugs' is done in an honest manner. Speaking about Mal- ta and its attempt to take the first step, Rolles urged to "stay true to the principles of harm reduction, crime reduction and public safety," while avoiding the risks of commercialisation. Rolles commented on a com- mon misconception regarding a link between a drug's legality and its use, noting that while tobacco is legal, governments around the world have slow- ly implemented measures to discourage its consumption. "What we haven't done is criminalise tobacco uses." De- spite this, he noted that tobac- co use is declining slowly, as governments invest in public information campaigns, while not criminalising anyone who smokes, stating that responsi- ble regulation is key. The Maltese cannabis model Rolles emphasised that one must not repeat the same mis- takes with other drugs that were fully commercialised, such as alcohol and tobacco. "I very much welcome the approach taken by Malta, (on cannabis) which feels to me like they've learnt their lessons from mistakes that were made on alcohol and tobacco in par- ticular." Rolles noted that as is the case with all drugs, tobacco and alcohol have risks linked to health and dependency, and despite this, the companies which sold these drugs were allowed to have massive pow- er over legislators around the world. This, he says, lead to the companies having complete control over the markets with no regard to public health. "We need to be very careful to not repeat those mistakes with cannabis." In the case of Malta, Rolles applauded its model for moving away from commer- cialisation, even noting that this trait in the Maltese model is drawing attention from a num- ber of countries that are looking to legalise cannabis themselves. In fact, he said at the UN's an- nual Commission on Narcotic Drugs, as well as the Brazilian Congress's discussion on legal- ising cannabis, Malta is being seen as a leading example in this difficult reform. Regarding the delay in setting up the associations in Malta, Rolles stated that, "these things do take time," and has wel- comed the caution of the Mal- tese model in what he described as a bold step forward. "I think it's in everybody's interest that this bold experiment is a suc- cess," he said, while adding that many who once dreamt of legalising cannabis are very keen to see the Maltese model succeed. Applications open from 17 - 30 July mcast.edu.mt Your route to success MATTHEW FARRUGIA CANNABIS associations could be up and running by the end of March 2024, sources familiar with the matter have told Mal- taToday. In June, it was revealed that 26 groups had applied for cannabis association licences from the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis, (ARUC) but no timeframe was yet given. MaltaToday is informed that the biggest hurdle surrounding the licence approval involved receiving the green light from banks in order to take out loans to be able to operate, however, sources say that this issue has been resolved. Regarding the applicants themselves, this newspaper is also informed that ARUC had received applications for all five types of associations, character- ised by their number of mem- bers. Although many potential candidates who were in contact with the Authority have said they would apply for the lower categories, the early applications have shown a preference for the higher member categories. What are the rules for opening a 'cannabis harm reduction club'? Each club is required to have two founding members as well as a list of administrators who have lived in Malta for at least five years. Along with those in charge of security and distri- bution, the club will also hire a quality controller. Any specified administrators cannot have a history of money laundering, terrorism funding, or bankruptcy in court. Following their initial year of use, licences can be renewed for an additional three years. The application price will vary ac- cording to the membership size, and the licence charge will be fixed at €1,000. There is a max- imum of 500 members per club. Each club will be required to contribute a portion of each euro they make to a harm reduction fund. From seed to sale, clubs will be responsible for growing their product. Clubs will be per- mitted to buy seeds from other countries, but only from those in the EU and other recognised regions. The club itself can set up shop anywhere in Malta but cannot be situated close to a school or youth centre. The shop must have proper ventilation and CCTV on site. It also cannot be seen to promote cannabis use in its signage or shop name. Each club must also file their audited financial accounts with ARUC. Clubs will not be able to advertise their services and will be obliged to focus on harm reduction before all other in- terests. People working in these clubs will also be given harm re- duction training by ARUC. Cannabis clubs will not be al- lowed to sell alcohol, and canna- bis can only be sold in bud form. Anyone above 18 years will be able to become a member of a club but cannot be a member of multiple clubs. Any club found to be in breach of regulations could have its licence revoked and cannabis confiscated. Cannabis associations eye first quarter of 2024 for opening their doors